Those Who Survive
by Ionel
Summary: I suck at summaries, so here goes: ... My Version of the ending of the Third XMen Movie. What happened to all the characters? AU
1. Jean Grey

Disclaimer: I own nothing ... unfortunately.

Author's Notes: Hi everyone. This is something that has been on my computer for months. The next part is already in progress, so have fun reading and reviewing :)

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**Jean Grey**

I can't really tell who is watching them. If it's Jean Grey or Phoenix. I'm just standing and watching, both parts of me observing. Neither one fighting for domination, neither one crying for release.

It's hard to watch all the killing, knowing that I could destroy each or both sides if I wanted to. I can't make up my mind which side I should help, if I should help them at all. So I just watch them until they stop, until one side has won, though it's hard to tell if there really are winners this time. There are just those who survive.

I take everything in. How Storm battles Callisto, and Logan and Hank beat up Magento's mutants by the dozen. Later Bobby duels with Pyro, a fight that everyone saw coming long ago. But more than see all this, I feel it. I can feel them moving around me even when I close my eyes. I can hear their thoughts, I know what they will do, how they'll move, and if they're opponents will be able to avoid being hit or killed. I feel all this, and it overwhelms me. When Logan and Hank attack Magneto I know what will happen, but I don't intervene, even though I should be on his side, or shouldn't I? I let him be changed back and still know in the back of my mind what will happen. I have become a strange observer in a war, when everybody expected me to participate.

When I hear Logan's voice talking to me I find my focus again. The world shrinks back from an enormous area of awareness to a few feet and I concentrate on him. His voice, his body, his very thoughts tell me that he's hoping I'll come back to them, but I'm not sure if I can. Not sure if I want to. He continues talking and I never want him to stop again, because as long as he talks I'm save. I don't know what will happen, but I know that he'll be there.

His shouting wakes me and again I feel before I see, and what I feel makes the anger boil up inside me. They have come to change me back to 'normal', to kill me, if nessesary. Me, who didn't participate in this senseless killing, who didn't chose a side, a passive bystander.

Rage.

And suddenly everything is a blur. Anger surges through me. Power begging for release and I don't stop it. Don't want to stop it. Voices inside me try to calm me. Familiar voices, but I don't listen. Can't. People are screaming, being disintegrated, disappearing into nothingness, stading no chance against my power. They don't deserve better. To stand in my way is to oppose me. No one opposes me. More anger. I feel the buildings collapsing and breaking under my strength like children's toys. But my power is still stronger, still begging for realease. The water begins to lift, defying gravity, defying nature. Creating my own little place, my own little zone of absolute power. Everything is gone, all buildings destroyed. Debries is laying around, forming a strange kind of throne in the middle of the island. Everyone has either run away, or disintegrated. Is this what I want?

I'm alone.

Again.

No, not alone. One remains. Someone who hasn't run away. Someone who hasn't disappeared.

Even though I try to hurt, to kill him, he's not afraid, not trying to run away, like all the others. He stands his ground, makind his way, slowy but steady towards me. And each wave I sent towards him hurts him more, but he doesn't care, just heals himself and continues on his way. Each wave I think, yes, hope, that I will kill him, but he is strong. And it just angers me more. This is the men I desired, but now he opposes me. And then he's reached me, standing just inches before me. I'm tempted to just flick him away, but there is something I need to say, need to know.

'You'd die for her.' The truth hurts me, and anger rages inside me. I prepare to destroy him with a wink of my hand, but his words stop me. 'No. Not for her. I'd die for you.' His words and the look on his face tell me without doubt that he's speaking the truth. He lets me see right into his heart and what I see shatters my whole existence.

He loves me.

Me.

The moment freezes, just for me, for there is so much truth in his words that I want to cry.

I don't have to choose. I don't have to be either Jean Grey or Phoenix. I can be both. Or neither.

I can just be me.

And in a moment of perfect understanding I know: There is just me.

And this knowledge sets me free.

I know what to do.

The world starts spinning again, the moment almost gone before it even started.

He knows just by looking at my face. Knows what I want from him, knows what I ask of him. I know that he knew all along that this is what it might all come down to. I know he has been asking himself if he can do it, ever since my change and even more so since Storm questioned him not so long ago. And now he knows.

'Help me.' And that is all he needs to hear. 'I love you!' As his claws extend I understand, that even though he's killing me, this is the truest proof for his love. And I can hardly feel the pain of my dying body, for all his love for me I feel around me. I want to tell him, with my last breath that I love him too, but I don't want to make this any harder on him. So instead I smile, to let him know that this is what I wanted, that he couldn't have done better. That I'm proud of his strength.

As I feel my body dying I hear the familiar voices in my head again. 'Don't let it consume you.' And my promise to Scott: 'I will always be with you.'

And there, in Logan's arms, with his tears dripping on my face, I know that there truly are no winners. Only those who survive. And as my power disappears, the sky is crying.

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End of Part 01


	2. Storm

Disclaimer: I own nothing ... unfortunately.

Author's Notes: Hi everyone. This is the new chapter. Haven't fixed spelling, I'm sorry. Will do that with the next update. In the meantime: PLEASE REVIEW :)

Author's Note Number Two: I'm such a sucker for Happy Endings, so please forgive me. (Hope I didn't say too much ;)

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**Storm**

Her body, starting to disintegrate, tightly held by his arms.

This is how I find them.

I dare not say that I knew it would come to this, for I had hoped with all my heart that it wouldn't. But now we're here and what was done is done, and nothing seems to be the same anymore. We have won, have proven ourselves, but the price we paid was too high. Two good friends and one Mentor dead, countless other Mutants either dead as well or without their powers. We don't know what happened to Rogue or what will happen to the little mutant boy, whose power was one of the reasons for this conflict.

And then there is the question about the school. Should we really keep it open? I was so sure that we should after the death of the Professor, but now, looking at the ruins in front of me I'm not so sure anymore. Is this really worth it? Will I be able to make it work?

My eyes fall on Logan, who is now quietly sobbing, even though I'm sure he will deny it later. Jean has completely disappeared and all that's left of her are some flakes, likes ashes, that are swirling around Logan, and settling down on his arms. The whole island seems to be covered in ashes. He flexes his hands and I see and hear his blades extending. They are covered in blood. Jeans blood. He looks at them, but doesn't say a word. I wonder what he is thinking. What do you do, after you had to kill the person you loved. Knew you had to kill her, because it was the only way to save her. How can you live on after something like this? How did Jean cope after she found out the other part of her personality had killed Scott? Hadn't she begged for Logan to kill her after he told her?

And here am I, complaining that I don't know how to live on, but still alive. And looking around me again I realize that this is the reason we have to keep the school open. To teach, to guide. To make sure powers are used wisely. And to make sure powers that are used for evil deeds will be opposed. Cause we are X-Men. We stand united to defend human or mutants from all evil sources. And that cannot change.

I see movement, and according to Logans face, he's seen it to. I could swear the landscape around us has not changed since I stepped back on the island and found Logan and Jean. But now it seems different. Everything is covered in ashes, and everything seems to be moving. The movements are slow, but they seem to be coming from everywhere. Logan stepps beside me, his blades, still extended ready for battle should the need arise. But what is coming out from under the ashes surprises me.

It's everyone. Soldiers are getting up, dusting off their camouflage pants and shirts, looking around, disoriented, as though they're not sure where they are. And there are mutants as well, leaning upon each other, helping each other up.

I feel Logan tense beside me. 'Aren't those...' He doesn't finish his sentence, but I know what he means. 'Yes, they are.'

These are the people that Jean killed. Everyone she disintegrated with her power only minutes ago is standing before us, as though nothing ever happened. They are covered in ashes, but no one seems to be hurt. And what's more: everyone is here. The mutants that got killed during the first wave and the soldiers that got hit by the burning cars, yes, even the mutant girl I electrocuted; everyone is here. It seems that everyone that got disintegrated by Jean, no matter if alive or already dead is completely back to life. It's a miracle. And a gift.

All of them are disoriented and no one seems to be thinking straigth. What seems more is that neither Soldiers, nor mutants are disturbed by the other group. They look as though they are happy to be alive at all. Someone should do something. I guess it's gonna be me. 'Everyone listen. You should start making your way across the bridge towards the main land. Help should already be on the way.' The mass of people decides that what I said sounds like a good plan, and everybody is slowly but steady moving towards the bridge. I muster (?) my work and decide that this status quo between soldiers and mutants is as good a first step as any, though I'm not sure that it's gonna last for long. But I can hope, right?

I turn back to Logan, wondering why he hasn't said anything yet, wondering why he's not moving with everybody else. His gaze is locked at a point where the research building used to stand and I turn around to follow it. I can barely make them out, for all the ashes and dust that is still flying around, but it looks like there is someone walking, no, hobbling towards us. Guessing that it's just another mutant or soldier I wouldn't have bothered to look for very long, but Logan must have sensed something. He inclines his head and begins sniffling. 'Storm. Wind' He orders me and I comply for the urgency in his voice.

As the wind blows away the dust I can now see more clearly. There are two men moving towards us, one leaning heavily on the other. My eyes must be playing tricks with me, for what I see cannot be true. But they are as real as the mutants and soldiers making their way across the bridge, and when Logans breaks into a run towards them, I follow him.


End file.
